Improved apparatus for concentrating ores



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1 veras and State ot California, have invented had to the accompanying drawings, forming Vmy invention. Fig. l is a. longitudinal verti- .lOvWing description:

cles, and' all the mud and discf'iored water passing on, being prevented from following` t'neor'e into the receiving-box by the upward l 'UNITED STATES PATENT Trice.

JAMES HEPBURN, or MOKELUMNE HILL, oALrroRNIA.

IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR CONCENTRATING CRES.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that l, ,Janus HEPBURN, M. D., of Mokeluinne Hill,1 in the county of Caiaa new and usefulImprovement in Colleentrating Ores of Metals. Src.; and I do herebydeclare that the'following is a full, clear, and exact description ot the same, reference being a part of thisspeciiicaton, in which,- 'Figure l represents a plan or top view o cal section-ot' the same.

Similar letters ot' referenceur both i'iews' in d-ica're corresponding parts.

This invention relates to an improvement in the manner of sluicing or separating the gangues and rock or earthy matter fromy theA ores of vvaluable metalsat'ter the saine have been reduced to 'powder 'by stamping or crush'l ing, so as toeftect by the automatic action of wateraperfect. separationof the ore from the rock in which it was disseminated. t

The nature of my invention and its advantages willbe readily 'understood from the fol- 'A represents a sluice, which is set on a declivity of about one inch to the foot, to receive the discharge from `the stamping-mill. This sluice is set into the receiving-box B, which is made of wood or'an y other suitable material capable of holding water.4 11s top edge ought to be flush with the top edge of the sluice. Anaperture, a, in the bottom of the sluic-e,leads down into the receiving-box, and when this box is filled with` water a gentle upward current rises through said aperture into the sluice.' The size of the aperture a is regulated by a slide, b, which moves in grooves in the" sides of the sluice, or any other suitable device may be applied for the purpose of regulating said aperture. Before the operation of concentrating the ore commences, clear water is let'into the receiving-box through a pipe at its farther end, and so regulated by a stopcock as to have a given flow up and through the aperture a in thevbottom of the lsluice. The material from the mill when it reaches this opening, meeting a gently-rising water bottom, is divided, the ore by its grav'- ity dipping into the clear water in the box below, and the lighter rock and earthy partiv -current of clear water-from below. ll'one up- Ward current through the bottom of theslnice is not sufficient to separate theore, l apply two or more receiving-boxes and a corr Sponding. number of .apertures in the bottom of the sluice.` In concentrating copper ore, for instance, the firstv box will collect tit'teen parts for thesecond one part, and so, ly extending A the sluice's and increasing the number of boxes and of apertures in the bottoms of the sluices, there will presently be no more .to collect. With lightores from ten to twenty apertures and receiving-boxes are required. The water should enter the receiving-box at least three or four feet from the sluice, so as to' prevent any agitation in the same whichA would disturjo the settling of the tineparticlcs of ore. When a sufcient. quantity et cleared ore has accumulated'in `one of theboxes, the l corresponding aperture in the sluce isclosed by the slide, and the ore is taken out. The. box is then again filled with clear waterfroni thle supply-pipe, the apertures opened, and th'e operation continued in the same manner as before, or the material may be removed as it collects by an elevatorscrew or any other suitable device. In this manner the heavy particles contained in a' certain ore ca'n'be readily separated from those of smaller specific grav-ity Awithout requiring any further attention after the currents have once been properly regulated. a

l do not wish to clai'm, broadly, to separate ore by exposing the same to an upward current of water, as this process is carried out in ordinary shaking-machines,'and described.

in Letters Patent granted to A. W. Schell March 10,1863; but', v y Having thus fully described m'y invention, 'what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. Exposing the ore as the same passes through the sluice A to an upward current of water from the recevingbox B, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. The employmentor use of one or more receiving-boxes, B, arranged in relation to the aperture or apertures a in the bottom of the sluice A, and operating in the manner and for the purpose substantially as herein set forth; I

JAMES HEPBURN.

y Witnesses:

EZRA BEALE, ANsLEY K. BOUCHER. 

